Neil Young, Maggie Rogers and Joan Baez to take part in Bernie Sanders rally

Posted On April 6, 2025April 6, 2025

Neil Young, Maggie Rogers, and Joan Baez have been confirmed as acts partaking in an upcoming Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rally at Los Angeles’ Gloria Molina Grand Park.

The event, titled ‘Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here’, isn’t the first by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, but will this time bring together the trio of musical legends to perform with admission free through Sanders’ website.

The rallies have typically been held in red states, making this the first to venture elsewhere—an exception likely made due to the broader appeal of involving other performers to support their political statement.

Discussing the purpose of the rallies, Sanders said that Americans “do not want billionaires to control our government or buy our elections” and that he aims to tackle “Republican-held districts” to “defeat oligarchy”, per Variety.

Alongside Young, Rogers, and Baez, additional performers on the bill include Indigo de Souza, Jeff Rosenstock, the Red Pears, and Raise Gospel Choir. Expressing his delight on social media, Rosenstock described himself, Sanders, and Young as “dream blunt rotation” before adding a more serious note of admiration.

“It has been easy to feel powerless and alone since the election, and seeing the massive crowds of people who are also tired of this bullshit attending these events (cornball alert) has filled my heart with hope,” he wrote, concluding, “I am beyond honoured to be a part of this playing some songs.”

Baez has been involved in activism and protest events her entire career, starting as an active participant in the 1960s counterculture movement with several appearances for equal opportunities, poverty, civil rights, and anti-war rallies. Many of these have been free, and she has remained outspoken about her views throughout it all.

In previous interviews, Baez has said she turned to activism as an outlet for frustrations and expression when others were pushed to substance abuse. During an interview with The Guardian, she said her approach is often to make others think about their own actions and challenge complacency: “People ask me what I’m going to do and I say back to them: ‘No, the question is what are you going to do?’”

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